How To Answer When Asked For Your Pronouns: Letter To The Editor

by Daniel Pipes Wall Street Journal February 10, 2022

https://www.danielpipes.org/21004/how-to-answer-when-asked-for-your-pronouns

Translations of this item:

"Replying implies acceptance of the premise that humans can choose their gender, but refusal isn't always an option."

DP: I welcome suggestions from readers in the comments below.

Colin Wright correctly points out that replying to the question, "What are your pronouns?" implies acceptance of the premise that humans can choose their gender ("When Asked for Your 'Pronouns,' Don't Answer," op-ed, Feb. 5). His suggestion not to reply to the pronoun impertinence makes good sense.

But matters are sometimes more complex. The only person to ask me for pronouns did so in bureaucratic mode as I was scheduling a medical appointment. Not wanting to jeopardize my health for a principled stand on pronouns, I unhappily mumbled "he/his." Some employers and schools require staff and students to supply pronouns. In such cases, rudeness, sarcasm or refusal do not work.

Something succinct, clever and polite is needed. My best retort is, "I think you know the answer," but I welcome better ones from your readers.

Daniel Pipes Philadelphia Mr. Pipes founded Campus Watch.

Pronoun pins for Adidas store sales associates.

Feb. 10, 2022 addendum: Other suggestions:

• A letter writer to the WSJ: For older persons, "My pronouns are what they've been for the past 7+ decades."
• One e-mail correspondent who goes by Literary Pretender: "That question makes me uncomfortable."
• A neurologist: "XX" or "XY."
• AJC replied in a comment: "I avoid pronouns and prefer to be addressed by my name."
• Kevin sarcastically suggests: "why shouldn't we all adopt the most universal and gender-neutral pronouns: it / its / that. It, no pun intended, has the added benefit of putting humans on the same level as plants and animals."

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Reader comments (33) on this item

		Title	Commenter	Date	Thread
Linguist's response [76 words]	Peter	Jan 29, 2023 10:18	291793
	1	Linguist's response [76 words]	Peter	Jan 28, 2023 11:02	291752
1	answer on pronouns [78 words]w/response from Daniel Pipes	James Kahn	Mar 20, 2022 14:00	279421
1	Possible Explanation [112 words]w/response from Daniel Pipes	Gil	Mar 11, 2022 19:47	279314
2	"You seem like a tolerant person... [29 words]	Keith	Mar 1, 2022 00:30	279170
2	"I'm either a closet homosexual or what I look like." "And it's non of your Fxxxing business." [76 words]	Ludvikus	Feb 20, 2022 05:37	279065
2	Privacy v. Tolerance [292 words]w/response from Daniel Pipes	Ludvikus	Feb 20, 2022 05:21	279064
2	A Tit for Tat [16 words]	Renox	Mar 6, 2022 22:33	279064
2	Just call me "Stalin" [55 words]	Charles Martel	Feb 19, 2022 04:00	279057
2	Heshe and/or Shehe: A partial, simple, solution to a difficult issue. Also, Himher and/or Herhim. [182 words]	Ludvikus	Feb 18, 2022 11:26	279050
1	Here's another way to answer [17 words]	Anon	Feb 16, 2022 00:18	278996
2	Gender assignment [116 words]	Jeff	Feb 15, 2022 17:11	278991
3	Much more universal, gender-neutral pronouns. [69 words]	Kevin	Feb 13, 2022 21:01	278943
you better speak gender-specific Hebrew [17 words]	myth	Feb 14, 2022 10:55	278943
I spell M... [32 words]	myth	Feb 13, 2022 11:16	278938
4	Our enemies must notice this insanity [73 words]w/response from Daniel Pipes	Dave	Feb 12, 2022 15:30	278919
3	The short term blame goes to Trump, Biden and circa 2020-democrats [143 words]	Prashant	Feb 13, 2022 13:52	278919
1	America's Trivial Pursuit of Political Trivialities Extends Much Further Back - President Trump Merely Revealed How Bad [250 words]	M Tovey	Feb 14, 2022 11:46	278919
Putin calendar [20 words]	myth	Feb 15, 2022 18:00	278919
3	In the Immortal Words of Charlie Brown, "AAAAAUUUUGH!" [156 words]	Kepha	Feb 11, 2022 23:59	278891
2	What about "you"? [19 words]	Malcolm	Feb 11, 2022 20:25	278887
4	Tyranny with a velvet glove. [42 words]	Phan	Feb 10, 2022 22:51	278850
Depreciation of Human Value by Inhuman Means [260 words]	M Tovey	Feb 11, 2022 15:15	278850
1	Just one problem, Phan [25 words]	Jeff	Feb 12, 2022 13:47	278850
2	I am a man/male. [83 words]	Prashant	Feb 10, 2022 20:11	278845
My opportunist pronouns [97 words]	Dave	Feb 10, 2022 19:57	278842
2	I Avoid Pronouns [23 words]	AJC	Feb 10, 2022 14:49	278835
Questioning Medicine that Cannot Recognize the Obvious [184 words]	M Tovey	Feb 10, 2022 11:49	278829
Tolerance [551 words]	Ludvikus	Feb 10, 2022 10:27	278826
The Lost Message of Conservatism [191 words]	M Tovey	Feb 10, 2022 18:57	278826
1	HE or SHE [47 words]	Robert	Feb 11, 2022 14:26	278826
Because It is Written in HIS Terms [134 words]	M Tovey	Feb 12, 2022 01:16	278826
1	useless... [63 words]	Tim Rouse	Feb 10, 2022 10:19	278825

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